Help with Doula Clients

[LydiaJW]

I just took my Doula Training and am trying to find clients so I can get my certification done. Can anyone share with me good tips for finding clients? I'm really new to all this and really want to help someone!

[tlcdoula]

I would start by talking to other doulas. Sometimes they can refer people who are looking for a lower fee doula. You could also ask around and see if you have a group in your area that caters to those that cannot afford a doula. I would also have business cards made up and hand them out to all of your friends (word of mouth is amazing!). You could also send letters to doctors in your area letting them know that you are there and willing help if they have a patient in need.

Good luck!!!

[DoomaYula]

Whatever you do, don't take clients for free. Charge a reduced rate, $100 or something like that, depending on what the typical rate is in your area.

Put up fliers at health food stores, yoga studios, chiropractors offices, etc. Tell all your friends that you're trying to get certified and have them tell their friends.

[gentleheartdoula]

I am also new to the doula biz! I contacted the local pregnancy crisis center and they were very excited to have me work with them. I met my first client at the hopsital sponsored birth classes, so call them up and see if you can audit their classes. Also, look online for places to put your info as a doula. The more you can get your name out there, the more likely someone will find you. I also put an exhibit up at the local Health Fair about the benefits of doulas and am talking to a group of nursing students about natural birth at the local college. You might also visit the maternity floor at the local hospital and introduce yourself. That way, if anyone calls looking for a doula, they will at least know you exist. My goal is to never hear, "Oh, I didn't know you were a doula!"

[amygoforth]

Consider putting on a short presentation about doulas or comfort techniques in labor or how to use a birth ball or something like that at the local library, baby store, health food store, etc. If you have a doula-friendly hospital in the area, consider asking them if you could host a "doula night" there. You can give a short presentation, and invite a few other doulas for a meet and greet.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I charged for my first few births just less than the normal rate. I had no trouble finding clients. It's a business, just treat it that way. Networking is the best thing you can do.

[mendomidwife]

Compose a letter of introduction describing what services you offer/ are hoping to offer.... and send it to the local midwives.
I keep a list of Doula's in our area that I refer women to.

Carla

[MidwifeErika]

I put an ad on craigslist and that worked very well for me getting clients. Just put an ad up about being a student doula and taking the first x many births at such a fee and explain a bit about what you would do and what is expected out of them and see what happens. Good luck!

[mamabadger]

You could ask other doulas in the area if you can be their "emergency backup" in case they can't make a birth.
A lot of chiropractors, massage therapists, and other natural health care providers are very agreeable about having doulas do presentations to their clients, or at least display their information brochures in the waiting room.

[LydiaJW]

wow thanks for all the ideas!! I'm going to get some business cards printed up and drop them off at a few places around town. Thanks so much!

[courtenay_e]

I sent emails to EVERY person on my list, whether they live in my area or not. I asked them to tell ANYperson they thought might be interested, that I was starting out as a doula. A friend told a friend of hers, S, who is a Bradley instructor. S invited me to come to one in the series of Bradley classes that talks about doulas and birth plans. She liked me (we're now good friends, actually!), and asked me to come to EVERY one of that class in her series. I actually got two of my first six clients from that first class that I attended, and probably about half of my clients in the first year I was in practice from speaking at subsequent classes. Now I get most, if not all, of my clients from word of mouth, at least half of which are derived from those clients that I got from speaking at her class.

The other half? Well, I started out posting in freecycle. I know that MANY professionals here have had really bad experiences doing births for free, but I found the complete opposite situation. I live in an affluent area, but it is surrounded by very, very poor areas. We happen to have well educated women in those poor areas. Women who are stuck with medicaid, and the really crappy maternity care that goes along with it. Four women contacted me from my freecycle ads, and three of them ended up as my clients. They attended every single meeting, they called me for their births, they soaked up every piece of new information that I gave them, and they had a much more self-empowered birth because they felt as if having a doula with them gave them a voice that they would not other wise have had. NOW. I put out gas money, and other business expenses for those births, yes. However, as in any other start-up business, I considered those expenses to be crucial in getting my business off on the right foot. I needed the experience, they needed a doula, we traded off. As a matter of fact, I believe that EVERYTHING I have is gift, and so am happy to use my gift of doing a good job of attending women in labor to benefit others who otherwise would have a much less satisfactory birth for one reason or another. Yes, I do it to help support my family, so I am unable to do free births all the time, but still consistantly end up doing one free birth a quarter, and am still quite happy to. Actually, the ONLY mama who never called me during labor was probably the most affluent one I've had to date...the tiny sum (compared to what she and her husband bring in) that they pay me is nothing to her, so she really didnt mind when the first active contraction hit, and she decided to run to the hospital, and get the epidural, that her husband felt bad calling me out of bed in the middle of the night to watch her sleep with an epidural. Funny, how things are different from different perspectives.

Also, I networked. I spent several days in the car going to area yoga studios and chiropractors. Can't say that helped. After doing other kinds of networking (getting to know the members of the midwifery and natural birth worker community in my area) I have found that most yoga instructors and chiropractors in my town have one certain doula to whom they already refer (each having their own favorite)...my chiro now refers to me! BUT, networking within the midwifery and natural birth worker community has been a great boon to my business. I have formed friendly acquaintences and friendships with some of those women, and have found that I like many of their styles, and refer certain clients with certain needs to certain midwives. And the midwives refer back. I refer to other doulas when I can't, for one reason or another, take a specific client. They refer back. I refer to other CBE's (mainly my Bradley friend, but sometimes if they're not in her area and don't want to drive, to others as well).

It all takes time. I did get my first six clients booked within about a three week period...but in GENERAL, it takes time to build the rest of the business, the connections and such. Last year I averaged two clients a month. This year, including the fact that I am now also a midwive's assistant, I average four to five births a month...and am counting down the DAYS till february, when I have my first month off since...I can't remember when! And then I'm also not taking clients in the month of April, as I'll be off to Europe to visit family for a well deserved (if I DO say so myself) anniversary vacation. *dreaming of greener shores*

Have fun, and take time to grow your business. My husband is quite happy that I took the time to go to all the birthnetwork, doula coffee nights, mdc coffee nights, and such over the first year (and still do), now that we're seeing the payoff!

[rnchrista]

Originally Posted by courtenay_e

I have formed friendly acquaintences and friendships with some of those women, and have found that I like many of their styles, and refer certain clients with certain needs to certain midwives.

I think that comission we pay you certainly helps